System and method for optimizing protection levels when replicating data in an object storage system

Abstract

A redundant array of independent nodes are networked together. Each node executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage. The nodes are grouped into a plurality of systems each having multiple nodes. A data protection level method comprises setting a numerical value of a system dynamic data protection level for each system of nodes; and in response to user input, setting a value of a data protection level for one or more data objects in a system, the value being a fixed numerical value or a dynamic value. If the one or more data objects have a dynamic value of the data protection level in a system, the one or more data objects inherit the system dynamic data protection level of the system in which the one or more data objects reside. The value of the data protection level represents a number of copies of data of the one or more data objects to be kept where the one or more data objects reside.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a first storage system being configured to:
 manage a first namespace with a fixed data protection level and a second namespace with a dynamic data protection level; 
 store one or more copies of first data in the first namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the first data is determined by the fixed data protection level; and 
 store one or more copies of second data in the second namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the second data is determined by a first default data protection level of the first storage system; and 
 replicate the first namespace and the second namespace from the first storage system to a second storage system, wherein the second storage system is configured to: 
 store the same number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in a replicated first namespace of the second storage system; and 
 store a different number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the second storage system than the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the first storage system based on a second default data protection level of the second storage system. 
 
 
     
     
       2. A system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second default data protection level is lower than the first default data protection level, and 
 wherein the second storage system is configured to decrease the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the replicated second namespace from the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the second namespace of the first storage system. 
 
     
     
       3. A system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first default data protection level of the first storage system is set based on hardware of the first storage system, and 
 wherein the second default data protection level of the second storage system is set based on hardware of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       4. A system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first storage system is configured to manage a tenant which includes the first namespace and the second namespace. 
 
     
     
       5. A system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first data is a first object data which includes first metadata and first content data, and the second data is a second object data which includes second metadata and second content data. 
 
     
     
       6. A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third storage system, when the replicated first namespace and the replicated second namespace of the second storage system are replicated from the second storage system to the third storage system, being configured to: 
 maintain the number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in a replicated first namespace of the third storage system; and 
 change the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the third storage system based on a third default data protection level of the third storage system. 
 
     
     
       7. A system comprising:
 a first storage system being configured to manage a first namespace with a fixed data protection level and a second namespace with a dynamic data protection level, store one or more copies of first data in the first namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the first data is determined by the fixed data protection level of the first storage system, and store one or more copies of second data in the second namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the second data is determined by a first dynamic data protection level of the first storage system; and 
 a second storage system, upon performing replication from the first storage system to the second storage system, being configured to store the same number of the one or more copies of the first data in a replicated first namespace of the second storage system as the number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in the first storage system, and store a different number of the one or more copies of the second data in a replicated second namespace of the second storage system than the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the first storage system based on a second default data protection level of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       8. A system according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the second default data protection level is lower than the first default data protection level, and 
 wherein the second storage system is configured to decrease the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the replicated second namespace of the second storage system from the number of copies of the one or more copies of second data stored in the second namespace of the first storage system. 
 
     
     
       9. A system according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first default data protection level of the first storage system is set based on hardware of the first storage system, and 
 wherein the second default data protection level of the second storage system is set based on hardware of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       10. A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the first storage system is configured to manage a tenant which includes the first namespace and the second namespace. 
     
     
       11. A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the second data stored in the first storage system is an object data which includes metadata and content data, and the second data stored in the replicated second namespace of the second storage system is a second object data which includes second metadata and second content data. 
     
     
       12. A system according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a third storage system, when the replicated second namespace of the second storage system is replicated from the second storage system to the third storage system, being configured to change the number of copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the third storage system based on a third default data protection level of the third storage system. 
 
     
     
       13. A method comprising:
 managing, by a first storage system a first namespace with a fixed data protection level and a second namespace with a dynamic data protection level; 
 storing one or more copies of first data in the first namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the first data is determined by the fixed data protection level; 
 storing one or more copies of second data in the second namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the second data is determined by a first default data protection level of the first storage system; and 
 replicating the first namespace and the second namespace from the first storage system to a second storage system, and during replication, storing the same number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in a replicated first namespace of the second storage system, and storing a different number of one or more copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the second storage system than the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the first storage system based on a second default data protection level of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the second default data protection level is lower than the first default data protection level, the method further comprising:
 decreasing the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the replicated second namespace of the second storage system from the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the second namespace of the first storage system. 
 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first default data protection level of the first storage system is set based on hardware of the first storage system, and 
 wherein the second data default protection level of the second storage system is set based on hardware of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       16. A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 managing, by the first storage system, a tenant which includes the first namespace and the second namespace. 
 
     
     
       17. A method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first data is a first object data which includes first metadata and first content data, and the second data is a second object data which includes second metadata and second content data. 
 
     
     
       18. A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising, when the first namespace and the second namespace are replicated from the second storage system to a third storage system:
 maintaining the number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in a replicated first namespace of the third storage system; and 
 changing the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the third storage system based on a third default protection level of the third storage system. 
 
     
     
       19. A method comprising:
 managing, by a first storage system, a first namespace with a fixed data protection level and a second namespace with a dynamic data protection level, and storing one or more copies of first data in the first namespace and one or more copies of second data in the second namespace, wherein a number of the one or more copies of the first data is determined by the fixed data protection level of the first storage system, and wherein a number of the one or more copies of the second data is determined by a first default data protection level of the first storage system; 
 performing replication of the namespace from the first storage system to a second storage system; and 
 during replication, storing a same number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in a replicated first namespace of a second storage system as the number of the one or more copies of the first data stored in the first storage system and a different number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the second storage system than the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the first storage system based on a second default data protection level of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       20. A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the second default data protection level is lower than the first default data protection level, the method further comprising:
 decreasing the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the replicated second namespace of the second storage system from the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in the second namespace of the first storage system. 
 
     
     
       21. A method according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the first default data protection level of the first storage system is set based on hardware of the first storage system, and 
 wherein the second default data protection level of the second storage system is set based on hardware of the second storage system. 
 
     
     
       22. A method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 managing, by the first storage system, a tenant which includes the first namespace and the second namespace. 
 
     
     
       23. A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the second data stored in the first storage system is an object data which includes metadata and content data, and the second data stored in the replicated second namespace of the second storage system is a second object data which includes second metadata and second content data. 
     
     
       24. A method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 when the second namespace is replicated from the second storage system to a third storage system, changing the number of the one or more copies of the second data stored in a replicated second namespace of the third storage system based on a third default protection level of the third storage system.